Man hit and killed by semi on Nob Hill Blvd believed to have been intoxicated

YAKIMA, WA - East Nob Hill Boulevard near South 18th Street is back to normal after a fatal semi vs. pedestrian accident that closed the area down around 7:00 p.m. on Wednesday.

The victim is 49-year-old Josue Mendoza-Hernandez.

"He was on the north side of Nob Hill and he attempted to cross Nob Hill heading south," said Mike Bastinelli, spokesman for the Yakima Police Department. "He did not use the cross walk."

Authorities believe the man may have been intoxicated when he attempted to cross the road and say they don't know where the man was going when he was struck.

As for the driver, police say he was not under the influence of anything and didn't see the man.

"The truck driver was getting ready to make a left hand turn," Bastinelli said. "He was high up and might not have been able to see the gentleman walking in front of him, plus you combine that with the time of day and the sun setting."

Bastinelli says that cases like this one put a spotlight on the importance of obeying traffic signals, especially on busy roads like East Nob Hill.

"If he would have used the crosswalk we would not have to be talking about this today," said Bastinelli.

Hernandez's family has been notified and the driver will not be cited.

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TIPS ON HOW TO CREATE A BASIC FIRE ESCAPE PLAN BY THE NATIONAL FIRE PROTECTION ASSOCIATION For more visit: https://www.nfpa.org/Public-Education/By-topic/Safety-in-the-home/Escape-planning/Basic-fire-escape-planning Pull together everyone in your household and make a plan. Walk through your home and inspect all possible exits and escape routes. Households with children should consider drawing a floor plan of your home, marking two ways out of each room, including ...More >>